Key facts
- The Justice Department said the 250-foot (76-meter) arch would not be completed until after Trump's second term ends.
- The department said the arch was set to be approved as soon as Thursday and faces legal challenges seeking to block it.
- The department expected six to eight months of below-grade excavation and foundation work before above-ground construction.
- Total construction was anticipated to take 33 to 39 months, the government said.
The Justice Department said the proposed 250-foot (76-meter) triumphal arch in Washington would not be completed until after the end of President Donald Trump's second term, according to a Reuters report published November 3, 2026.
The department said the arch was set to be approved as soon as Thursday and faces several legal challenges asking a US judge to block the project. It said it expected an initial six to eight months of construction focused exclusively on below-grade excavation and foundation construction, with above-ground work not expected to begin until May at the earliest.
Total construction was anticipated to take 33 to 39 months, the government said, according to the report.